Camera and money container



Sept. 30, 1952 Filed April 27, 1950 1 E. H. HEYER ET AL CAMERA AND MONEY CONTAINER 2 SHEETS-SHEET l (NVENTORS.

Sept. 30, 1952 E. H. HEYER ET AL 2 CAMERA AND MONEY CONTAINER Fild April 27, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 fe/c hi HYEE,

' fun 0v 2 5 701v,

I INVENTORS.

Afro/awn Patented Sept. 36, 1952 CAMERA AND MUNEY CQNTAINER Eric H. Heyer, Los Angeles, and Edwin Elston,

' Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application, April 27, 1950, Serial No. 158,466

This invention relates to photographic apparatus, and particularly to, a camera which not only may be used for photographing, but which'is so constructed that it will serve as a money depository or container for shipment through the mails.

Cameras of the box type having-universal or fixed .focus lenses are well-known, the present invention being directed to a camera ofthis'type which may be constructed economically. It is formed from a minimum of folded blanks or stamped out sheets of material, such as cardboard,which are so assembled that a strongoverall structure is provided. The various'unitsnecessary for intermittently introducing light to a film, to determine the scene to be photoign aphed, and the window through which the position of the film is indicated are simplified to utilize a minimum of parts, some of which perform more than one function, The film roll or spoolholder is a unit which maybe removed from the box and the film threaded therein, the holder unit being simplified to provide not only easythreading- 0f the film, but which increasesthe strength ofjohev box-while holding thefilm flat in the focal plane. The box is composed of twoprincipal units,

which may be stamped from material, such as cardboard, the outside unit surrounding their) slipped into the money pocket, or 'co'ntainerwithrealms. (or. es 12) The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the photographing and the obtaining of finished pictures.

--.Another object of the invention is to provide ,A still further object of the invention is to pro vide a novel box camera structure wherein all the necessary elements are reduced to a minimum and which may be assembled rapidly andeasily. Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will "b pointed outwith particularity in the appended in the camera, through a slot in the outer body, 1

and the camera, as is, sent by mail to the photo finisher. 'When the camera is received with suit-- ficient money inside' a loaded camera is mailed to the sender along with the prints of the last exposed film. Even though the structure is simplified and made'oi material, such as cardboard;

it is strong enough to Withstand the rigors? of transportation through the mails. Thecamera cannot be opened without destroying its outer wrapper.

By using a camera of this typfthere is no The camera is always loaded withthe' same type of film suitable to its optics.

claims, the manner of its organizationand the 7 mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; forming a part hereof, in which: s Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a camera eme bodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionalview taken along-the line 2--2 of Fig. l. I j

V Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view ofythe film-r811 unit taken along the line 33'of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the'ttvQ main units of the camera, one of which has been folded.

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the money depository I within the camera, taken alongthe-lirie fi fi of Fig. 2. T

ling. 6 is a, detailed view of the takeup spool op-,. erating button taken along the line 6-6 of Fig..'3-,-

and

Fig. '1 is a perspective View of the film rollunit.

Referring now to the drawings, inwhich the same numerals identify like elements, the camera unit show'n in Fig. lfcomprises two mainsections,

such as an inner unit 5 and an outer unitfi .(see Fig. 4) The inner unit is formedfrom afiat'strip of material, such as cardboard, which is folded along four lines, such as 8, 9, Land Ii, the end edges abutting at l2. When the unit has been so folded, as shown in Fig. 4, the butt ends or. joints may be held together either by tape orby' a staple E9. The front side 93 of the unit 5, has. alight opening It therein, in which is a universal focus lens 25 held in the wall opening it by tape,

25 and byjthe back of a shutter mechanism 15 riveted to the side [3 and having an operating lever; it extending out of the camera box. f'Ihe rear Wall or side [8 of the unit'5 has a i'ectangu of t the lar aperture 2.0, through which the light passes to the film positioned behind it, as will be explained hereinafter.

To the side of the unit 5 held by staple I9, there is glued or suitably attached, a money pocket or compartment I! made of a rectangular piece of material with triangular sides, such as thin cardboard, and which may be glued or stapled to the wall at the fiap 2|. The pocket has an upper, double flap 22 which serves as a light trap and a money trap. In normal position, the upper fiat portion of the flap is fiat across the money slot 4|, and while money, as shown at 23, is inserted in the pocket, the outer edge of the flap maintains contact with the inner surface of the side 46 of the unit 6 to exclude light from the box. (See Fig. 5.) However, since the film will usually have been exposed and rolled up before money 23 is inserted, the chance of light striking the eX- posed film is small.

Referring now to the unit 6, this unit can be of the same cardboard material as that of unit 5, but with six side sections adapted to surround the unit 5, as shown in Fig. 2. That is, the wall I3 is shown with the shutter mechanism I5 and with the lens 25. The section 28 of the unit 6 is parallel with the wall I3, but spaced therefrom to provide space for the shutter I5 and for the front wire frame section 3| of the finder,

which is attached to the wall 28 by friction between a cardboard strip 32 held to the wall by a staple 33. The ends of the frame 3| are turned upwardly, as shown at 34, to provide a stop for the frame when pulled upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. The wall 28 has therein a light opening 29 to pass light to lens 25.

The wall 36 of the unit 6 is parallel with wall I6 of unit 5, but spaced therefrom, and has therein a red window opening 31, in which a red gelatine window 38 may be inserted and attached by tape or other suitable means. To provide the eyepiece of the finder, a flat apertured member 48 is attached by tape or a staple to the outside of wall 36, over which a paper or imitation leather covering may be wrapped and attached. The eyepiece is a fiat strip having is humped in the center to facilitate its location and raising.

The bottom wall of the camera. is formed by section, 40, which has the coin slot 4I therein. The wall 43 of the unit 6 is in contact with the side section of unit 5 having the butt joint I2 therein, while the section44 is the top side, and section 45 is the side section, the section 45 having the slot 41 for the lever I6 of the shutter I5 and an opening 46 for the spool knob 10. Thus, the sides 46 and 44 close the ends of unit 5, and the sides 43 and 45 are in contact with side I9 and the side opposite thereto of unit 5, so that the contacting sides may be glued or stapled together to form an unusually sturdy and strong structure.

To place a roll of film in the camera, a film holder unit, such as shown in Fig. 7, is employed, wherein channel types of end members and 56' are joined together by an aperture plate 51 having an aperture 58 therein, and curved end light shields 66 and 6i. The curved ends 66 and 6| are sunk below the ends of the plate 51 to eliminate contact with the emulsion surface of the film. The ends of the supply spool are mounted in the openings 63 and 64 simply by spreading the members 55 and 56 apart, and the end of the backing paper of the film then attached to the empty spool 65 in the upper reel holes, similar to holes 63 and 64. The unit is then inserted in the space between the wall I8 and the wall 36, and, since the dimension from the aperture plate 51 to the edges of the ends 69 is a trifle greater than the distance between the walls I8 and 36, the resiliency of the ends 69 will cause a friction, which will not only hold the unit in position, but will hold the aperture plate 51 tightly against the wall 36 and maintain the film fiat in the focal plane during photographing. After the unit is inserted in the camera box, the film advancing button I0 is attached to the slotted end II of the spindle 65 simply by pressing the button thereon.

In Fig. 6, it will be noted that a resilient wire hairpin I3 is positioned in a circular notch in the shaft of button 16, the ends of the hairpin passing through slots 66 and 61 in the member 55. In this manner, the button I6 is held in position when pressed on the end II until it is desired to'remove it, which may be done simply by exerting sufficient pulling force to spread the wires. The resiliency of the wire hairpin also exerts pressure on the end of the film roll to keep the film from unwinding when not being wound on the spool.

After the camera is constructed, paper or imitation leather may be glued thereon to all sides, the covering material having the necessary openings to provide an entrance for the light and an exit of the other necessary elements, such as the lever I6 and the winding button I0, the frame 3| and eyepiece 46.

A camera is thus provided. wherein the film is held'fixed in the proper focal plane, a money depository is provided, the, camera is light in weight, but with sufficient strength by its form of construction to stand shipment through the mails without damage. All the essential elements are provided for taking good pictures. After the film has been exposed, it is only necessary for the user to insert the necessary money in the pocket I! and place the box in the mails. A mailing tag may be placed on the outside of the camera cover, or mailing instructions, as illustrated at '15 in-Flg. 4.

We claim:

1. A combination camera and money mailing container comprising an inner unit with four walls at right angles and open ends, an outer unit having six walls, two walls of each unit being in contact and attached to each other, two other walls of said outer unit being parallel from the other two walls of said inner unit, but spaced therefrom, and the last two walls of said outer unit closing the ends of said inner unit, and a money container attached to one of the walls of said inner unit which is attached to one of the walls of the outer unit, access thereto being provided by an opening in, the wall of said outer unit at right angles to the wall of said outer unit to which the said wall of the inner unit is attached, said container having a resilient flap covering said opening to prevent light from entering said camera and the contents of said container from leaving said container.

2. A combination camera and money container in accordance with claim 1, in which a film roll holder is positioned between two of the spaced 5 walls of said units, said holder having an aperture plate for holding a film flat against one of said walls of said outer unit.

I 3. A combination camera and money container in accordance with claim 1, in which an intermittent light shutter is positioned between two of the spaced walls of said units and a film roll holder is positioned between the other two spaced walls of said units.

4. A combination camera and money mailing container, comprising a rigid rectangular walled box unit of sufiicient strength to retain its shape during transmittal through the mails, a camera 1 lens and shutter mounted in a wall of said box,

ingmeans within said box unit, a wall of said unit joining said first two mentioned walls forming a wall of said compartment and having a money insertion slot therein, and a light exc1ud-- 'ing flap normally closing said slot, said flap and the walls of said compartment excluding light from said film holding unit when said slot is opened and said flap moved to place money in said compartment.

ERIC I-L HEYER. EDWIN ELSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

